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Section 8 Housing FAQs
FAQ's
The Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly known as Section 8) provides tenant-based rental assistance, in the form of a voucher, to low-income families, for rental units of their choice in the private market. Program participants choose from a variety of housing options, including apartments, duplexes, single-family homes, and townhomes.
Program participants issued a housing voucher and are responsible for finding a suitable housing unit of their choice where the owner agrees to rent under the program. The unit may include the participant’s present residence. Rental units must meet minimum standards of health and safety, as determined by the New Britain Housing Authority.
A housing subsidy is paid to the property owner directly by the Housing Authority on behalf of the participant. The participant then pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the property owner and the amount subsidized by the program. A participant’s rent is thirty (30) percent of their monthly income and cannot exceed forty (40) percent of their annual income.
A housing subsidy is paid to the property owner directly by the Housing Authority on behalf of the participant. The participant then pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the property owner and the amount subsidized by the program. A participant’s rent is thirty (30) percent of their monthly income and cannot exceed forty (40) percent of their annual income.
Income eligibility limits for the voucher program are set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as percentages of the local area median income. The income amounts are the maximum household income based on the number of family members in the household. Only applicants who meet specific income limits are eligible.
Keep the letter with your lottery number in a safe place. When your lottery number is serviced, you will receive a Pre Admission Housing Choice Voucher packet in the mail. The packet will give you detailed information and forms to complete and return. Please read the entire packet carefully and make sure you send back all necessary information by the deadline designated in the packet. If you have trouble reading or understanding the information in the packet, contact the Housing Authority for assistance. Remember the wait time for a qualified applicant may take several years and is dependent on the availability of vouchers.
You will receive a Pre Admission Housing Choice Voucher packet in the mail, which will give you detailed information and forms to complete and return. Please read the entire packet carefully and make sure you send back all necessary information by the deadline designated in the packet. If you have trouble reading or understanding the information in the packet, contact the Housing Authority for assistance.
Upon receipt of your information, the New Britain Housing Authority will begin the verification process. Once your information is successfully verified, you will receive a letter with a date for a voucher briefing appointment.
During the interview, you will be asked to complete a series of documents verifying that you are eligible. A criminal background check is conducted to verify that no household members have been arrested for drug or violent crimes. Registered sex offenders and anyone convicted of manufacturing methamphetamines in public housing are not eligible. You are then issued a Housing Choice Voucher after attending a briefing on how best to utilize the voucher.
It is very important that all of the documents in the packet are completed. The Housing Authority will verify with a third party (i.e. employer, etc.) to make sure that the information submitted is correct. Failure to return these complete documents will result in your withdrawal from the Housing Choice Voucher waiting list.
It is required that Social Security cards are submitted for everyone in your household, if they have a Social Security number. If any family member does not have a Social Security number, they must submit a signed certification that they have no number. If you cannot find your card or you’ve never had a Social Security number, we will accept copies of documents that show your proof of eligible immigration status.
It is required that photo I.D.’s are submitted for everyone in your household over the age of 18. There are no exceptions
It is required that either birth certificates or passports be submitted for everyone in your household. The only exceptions are children under 6 years old.
No. We use the information to verify eligibility for the program before scheduling you for a voucher briefing.
As a program participant, generally, you pay 30% to 40% of your adjusted annual income for rent and the Housing Authority pays the difference to the owner.
You must notify the Housing Authority in writing of any change of address, phone number, email or family composition. Please include your Social Security number on any correspondence sent to us. Changes will be made prior to contacting applicants about their placement on the waiting list.
If you do not notify the Housing Authority in writing of a change of address and any correspondence sent to you is returned, or if you do not respond to a scheduled appointment or any request for additional information, you will be removed from the waiting list and you will need to wait until the waiting list is open again to apply.
If you do not notify the Housing Authority in writing of a change of address and any correspondence sent to you is returned, or if you do not respond to a scheduled appointment or any request for additional information, you will be removed from the waiting list and you will need to wait until the waiting list is open again to apply.
Housing Choice Voucher Program participants can take their vouchers with them if they move (port) within the U.S. to another area with a Housing Choice Voucher Program. The Voucher Program participant MUST notify the Housing Authority where they currently live that they want to utilize the Portability option of the voucher to transfer to New Britain or from New Britain to another city of their choice. Once the portability request is approved, your housing authority issues a voucher and must contact the New Britain Housing Authority on the family’s behalf. Your housing authority must promptly notify the New Britain Housing Authority to expect an incoming family. This means your current housing authority contacts the New Britain Housing Authority on the family’s behalf, typically by telephone, fax, or email. Simply referring the family to HUD or to a website for information on the New Britain Housing Authority’s address does not fulfill the responsibilities of your housing authority under the program regulations.
All Portability paperwork should be sent by your Housing Authority to the New Britain Housing Authority either by the fax number listed below or sent U.S. post to the address below.
New Britain Housing Authority
16 Armistice St.
New Britain, CT 06053
Phone: 860.225.3534
Fax: 860.832-6079
- HUD-52665 Family Portability Information Form
- Client’s current voucher
- Current 50058 Form
- Client’s current income verifications
- Client contact address and phone number
- EIV (Enterprise Income Verification)
If you live in New Britain and wish to port out, please complete the form. It is also available at the receptionist’s desk in our lobby.
The Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009 (PTFA), part of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-22, approved May 20, 2009), requires that tenants residing in foreclosed residential properties be provided notice to vacate at least 90 days in advance of the date by which the immediate successor, generally, the purchaser, seeks to have the tenants vacate the property. Except where the purchaser will occupy the property as the primary residence, the term of any bona fide lease also remains in effect.
The value of your voucher is determined by the number of bedrooms you need, based on the size of your household.
Our website includes detailed information. You can also contact the Housing Choice Voucher Department at 860.225.3534.